‘What I did doesn’t matter; what matters is what happened,’ says Private Bradley Manning in the MolinoGroup’s excellent new play, Desert. In their exploration of the campaign phrase ‘We are all Bradley Manning’, the MolinoGroup ask us to consider what we would have done in the same situation, exposed to the same pressures, and if our faith in Britain as a nation that respects the rights of whistleblowers is strong enough to enable us to do what we think is right. In Giles Roberts’ astonishingly good performance we get a sense of Manning’s fragility, of what seems to be his glaringly obvious unsuitability for military life; he paces the space, plucking at himself, his solitariness compounded by what he’s done and what he’s seen. ‘They used to watch it for fun,’ say Manning as the Collateral Murder video fills the screen, the helicopter pilot stating ‘keep shooting… keep shooting’ as he fires on a group of Iraqis on the ground. Once you’ve seen it, is there any other option than exposing it? From the lighting and sound design, the perceptive use of space to the assured performances, every aspect of this production is a model of elegant concision –...

Exceptional, challenging modern morality play “Giles Roberts and Lucy Farrett give powerful, memorable performances. As Manning, Roberts inhabits a fiercely intelligent character fragmented by bullying; family dysfunction; dislocation and uncertainty about identity and gender.” “Lucy Farrett’s main character is researching the man seen by some as a traitor, by others as a hero. Her diction, clear as crystal, enabled complex, fast-moving information to be communicated effectively. Projected video clips usefully augmented her investigations.” “Director Bethany Pitts and Edward Fortes, in blurring real and imagined events, and blending text, movement and media, invite their audience to come off the fence about Manning.” “Because of this exceptional, challenging play, I drove home thinking about times when I have stood up for my beliefs, and times when I have betrayed them. Could I have done what this unhappy soldier did?” Read the full review here

Distanced but informative theatrical examination of secrets and truths. “Two days after The Molino Group’s Bike Shed Theatre run ends, the court-martial begins. After keeping am allegedly dangerous, democracy-threatening, half-American, half-Welsh terrorist in prison for 3 years, the American forces’ justice system is going to consider whether he’s guilty or not.” “Using words – spoken and projected – both from Manning and created for the show, with screened and live images, Edward Fortes’ script and the Group’s elliptical two-hander demonstrates evidence of deadly acts by Americans abroad included in Manning’s revelations and the determined punishment of someone not even securely adjudged guilty.” “Lighting makes the point, reducing to the small rectangle of his cell, before opening to a spread of sunlight for Manning’s brief daily exercise outside. Continually, he’s harried by a voice loudly asking if he’s all right, and demanding the reply ‘Affirmative’. It’s harassment lightly disguised as support.” “Sometimes direct information might have told more, more quickly, than Molino’s oblique multi-media approach. But points are firmly made. And may have to be made again; it seems for every fact Manning revealed, ninety-nine more remain in state computers. Some secret iceberg.” Read the full review here

the MolinoGroup presents DESERT A Residency at Bike Shed Theatre, Exeter Bike Shed Theatre, Exeter | 21st May – 1st June 2013 “If you had unprecedented access to classified networks 14 hour a day, 7 days a week for 8+ months, what would you do?” “Every aspect of this production is a model of elegant concision” **** Exeunt, June 2012 In 2010, US Army Intelligence analyst Bradley Manning allegedly leaked classified documents to whistleblowing website WikiLeaks. This year, Manning’s story comes to a head with as he stands trial. How did this 25 year old super-intelligent, awkwardly effeminate soldier become the centrepiece in a war between WikiLeaks and the American government? His supporters claim ‘We are all Bradley Manning’; his detractors label him a national traitor. Where does that leave the man behind the media furore? Desert is a multimedia exploration of this significant yet little known figure, blending real life transcripts with imagined events to probe into the heart of this extraordinary true story. Responding to events as they unfold, theMolinoGroup revisit their “excellent new play” (Exeunt) following its premiere at the Bike Shed in 2012.